Jack's Little Lambs
by Tricks AND Treats Contest
Summary: This isn't Kansas and this isn't Oz. This isn't the Enchanted Forest where magic pumpkins lead us to our princes and our happily ever after's. This forest is the opposite, dark and haunting in its deadness; a nightmare. We don't know how we got here. All we know is that we are the hunted. BPOV. M for language and one lemon.


**Standard Disclaimer: The author does not own any publicly recognizable entities herein. No copyright infringement is intended.**

 _Long Live the Pumpkin King!_

 _Alice's Pumpkin Bash Weekend_

 _Start your Halloween off with some spice_

 _Friday, October 30th at six o'clock in the evening_

 _Masquerade party at the abandoned house at Tiger Mountain Forest_

 _Be sure to wear your best Tim Burton or creepy fairytale characters_

 _Saturday, October 31st at five o' clock in the evening_

 _Haunted hayrack ride and haunted house_

 _Location revealed by text the morning of_

 _After we are thoroughly scared by our surroundings,_

 _It's back to my house for movies and drinks!_

 _Come as a couple or stag, as long as you're not a drag._

 _Let the Nightmare Before Christmas begin!_

I flip over the invite and see directions to both the abandoned house and Alice's, though I don't need them for her place. Alice has been my best friend since our first day of high school in Forks, Washington. The pixie has a knack for saying what she thinks but making you like her at the same time. This year's bash will be no different than last year's. Alice knows I hate to dress up, but I've come around since I grew into my own skin and matured. Edward, Alice's twin brother and my boyfriend, loves me and my womanly curves and that's what matters, right?

I sigh and walk into my kitchen, placing the invite on my fridge right next to the Cullen/Whitlock wedding invitation. Alice and her fiancée Jasper have been together for as long as I can remember, and I'm surprised they haven't tied the knot yet—especially since this is our third year out of college. Thankfully, Valentine's Day 2016 isn't too far away. Alice can't do any party or event half-assed, which is why all of the major holidays from Halloween to New Year's—including the days between—were out for potential wedding dates. The fact that we teach high school kids the rest of the time had made wedding planning difficult for her as well.

This "pumpkin bash weekend" is in one month. I'm glad she gave everyone a decent amount of time to come up with something acceptable to wear. I already have an idea forming, but I have to talk to Edward about it. Since this is Alice's party and she probably already has her costume planned, I'll call the King's mistress herself for now. The last thing I want to do is step on those toes.

It rings a few times before she answers. "Hello, hello!"

"Hey, I just got your invite. I'm assuming you know what you're going as?"

"Yes, I do! I'm going as Alice from 'Alice in Wonderland'!"

I laugh. "Of course. How stupid of me?" I say with as much sarcasm as I can muster. "What's Jasper going as?"

"He'll be the white rabbit,"She giggles. "It's only fitting since he's pale with blonde hair."

Again, how stupid of me. "Okay. Do you have a suggestion for Edward and me?"

She hums for a few seconds before coming back with, "I think Edward should be Stayne, the Knave of Hearts, and you the Red Queen."

"Is anyone allowed to be the Pumpkin King himself? I mean, that is kind of the theme, isn't it?" There goes my idea of going as Sally and Jack.

"Tim Burton and fairytales are the theme. It just seemed fitting to put those movie references on the invite. Anyway, I have plans for my bridal party to be in the same movie as the soon-to-be newlyweds."I can actually hear Alice pouting as she says this.

I sigh into the phone. "Fine, okay. We'll be the Red Queen and Stayne, but I'm drawing the line at making my head look bigger. I won't do that." She agrees and we go to hang up, but she stops me.

"Don't forget masks!"

I laugh. "We won't. Goodbye, Alice."

"Bye!"

After we hang up, I shoot Edward a text, telling him all about his sisters' plan. He hates dressing up in costumes more than I do. I think this stems from their childhood and Alice's need to have someone to experiment on. I will say that her experiments made for some funny and embarrassing photos later on. Once we talk and he reluctantly agrees—though he says this is the last year—I decide to look on Pinterest. I could spend hours on this site and not look anywhere else, so it's a good place to start.

I'm surprised by Alice's costume selection for herself and Jasper. I thought they would go as the _Corpse Bride_ couple or something from _Coraline._ Now I'm curious to see what Rose and Emmett are supposed to be.

I find several good ideas for mine, but I don't know if I really want to wear a corset. Besides, this is Washington and it's already chilly outside. I don't want the only covering on my legs to be stockings, leggings, or my skirt's train. The make-up looks easy, but I'll have to buy the rest of the outfit at some costume store. I couldn't find anything for Edward. There just wasn't anything that I liked and I knew he would hate the only option I did find. I guess we're going to have to come up with something better.

I spent the last week going from store to store in search of the perfect items, and now I finally have my costume. I even found both my and Edward's masks, which consist of several red hearts that are connected to one another and a black mask with a big red heart over one eye. Okay, so I actually bought Edward a plain black mask and plan to put the heart on myself. I couldn't find one that was masculine enough, and now I'm thinking I should take the easy way out for his outfit. Maybe it would be best to have him wear an old suit and attach hearts in the correct spots or something. I don't want to piss Alice or Edward off, but I have to do something. It's all about compromise, right?

I spend another week talking to Edward and showing him what I find in stores through text. By Friday the 16th, we come to the decision that he will wear some gothic type vampire vest and black dress pants. He said he'd ask Jasper if he could borrow a pair of his crazy, pointed black Mexican boots. I wonder if this is going to look good because the visual in my head doesn't. Either way, I'm sure we can pull it off.

The ringing of my cell jars me from my sleep. Mumbling and feeling around blindly for the damn thing, I finally get it and answer.

"Yeah?"

"Bella! I need your help finding some great party snacks and alcohol that will fit the theme," Alice says desperately.

"Alice, it's Sunday morning," I look at the time, "and it's seven-thirty. I would like to sleep in. Besides, why me? Can't Jasper help?" I whine. Edward rolls over, drapes an arm across my middle, pulls my backside tight against his front, and buries his nose in my neck.

"No, he can't! He has some extra things to do with Edward, Emmett and the football team. I guess they need to get ready for a game against that one team they'll see if they make the playoffs,"she says, mentioning our other friend, Emmett, who used to be a linebacker for the Seattle Seahawks. He took a bad hit that damaged his spine in his rookie year, which ended his career.

I groan. "Fine. When do you want me?" I hear a muffled "always" behind me and it makes me snort.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you! Okay, I can be nice and say eleven. That way you can take your time and enjoy the rest of your morning."

"Okay, I'll see you then. Bye." I hang up and try to get comfortable again.

"What did that evil sprite want now?" I hear from behind me.

I sigh. "Apparently since you, Jasper and Em have some football stuff to deal with, I need to help her with party snacks and drinks. She's being nice and giving me until eleven."

"That sounds great since we three need to be at the school by noon." I hum in response and try to borough into him more. "If you don't stop that, you won't get any more sleep," he grits out. I just giggle and wiggle my naked self a little more. I can sleep when I'm dead.

I feel Edward snake his hand over my hip and settle it between my legs. His fingers make contact with my clit and he starts to rub lightly. I sigh at the sensation and lift my leg to give him better access. I grip my breast and play with my nipple, making it pebble. I pinch and rub, adding to my pleasure. He rubs my nub faster and I start to get close. My breathing speeds up, my body starts to tense, and my toes curl. He pulls his hand away but I don't have time to be sad about it before he's positioned at my entrance, pushing himself inside.

We both moan at the feeling. "Fuck."

I reach my hand up and back to find his head, weaving my fingers through and fisting his hair. His left hand is on my hip while he thrusts slowly and he slides his right arm under me to grab my breast. "Touch yourself, baby. Make yourself come." I take my right hand—the arm I was laying on—and do as asked, leaving my other hand still in his hair. It only takes a minute before I'm finally coming, which makes him grunt and speed up his own movements.

As I come down from my high, Edward rolls me over onto my stomach, still inside me. I bring my arms up beside my head, sliding them under my pillow and gripping it. I arch my back a little and raise my ass up just enough for him to go deeper, but keep my whole chest pressed against the bed.

He grabs both ass cheeks, giving them a big squeeze and saying, "Fuck, I love this perfect ass of yours." I giggle, because the man just can't help it.

Edward leans forward then, placing his arms on either side of my shoulders. He kisses and lightly bites one as he pulls out and pushes back in with a force that makes me moan. I love it this way because he hits that spot just right practically every time. I'm gripping the pillow hard as he slowly, but forcefully thrusts that glorious cock in and out. I start to get close again and his movements speed up, making the headboard bang against the wall. Our heavy breathing and moans fill the room and before I know it, my voice is louder than before.

"Ahhh! Fuck!" I whimper out as my orgasm crashes over me.

"Fuck, yes! Come, baby," I faintly hear Edward in my ear. His thrusts become erratic and he bites my shoulder again when he comes, barely holding in his groan. He pulls out slightly, only to push back in once more.

We stay this way, catching our breath, for a couple minutes longer. When Edward pulls out, he rolls over to lie on his back while I crawl off of our bed on shaky legs to head for the bathroom. I do my business and clean up. I've just flushed when Edward knocks and comes in, saying it's his turn. He gives me a kiss and smacks my ass as he walks by.

He's an ass man, what can I say?

Now that I'm awake, I get some clothes set out for after my shower. It's still Sunday and, other than Alice's, I don't have any other plans for the day. Comfy clothes consisting of yoga pants, a tank top with a loose sweater, and my Bear Paw boots will do just fine. It's not _that_ cold outside yet, but the boots are comfortable and easy to put on, so I don't care. Edward comes out just as I finish.

"What would you like for breakfast, love?" he asks as he grabs his gray sweatpants that have the high school's name running down the leg.

"Um, how about eggs and coffee? I have to shower first, so you could probably start it in about ten minutes."

He has one leg in the pants when he pauses. "Could shower together, you know. To save water," he says with a mischievous smile.

I snort. "You know that never ends with warm water." A hot and wet Edward does sound delicious, but … no.

"Still worth asking," he sings as he pulls his pants the rest of the way up. He walks over and gives me a searing kiss. "Are you sure?" His voice is low and I can tell he wants me again. Of course, I am still naked, so I know that has an effect.

"Yes, because we have shit to do and we can't be late."

He concedes and leaves, but not before looking at my shoulders and smirking. Confused about why, I go look in the bathroom mirror. There on my left shoulder, thankfully in a spot I can cover, is a hickey, and I have teeth marks on my right. Unfortunately, the teeth marks might be a little harder to cover.

I'm amazed that I hardly even felt it.

"Possessive much?" I yell out loud enough for him to hear down in the kitchen. All I hear is his laughter and him telling me to go shower or he'll give me another one.

"Promises, promises!"

"Okay, so, I've looked on Pinterest already. I have a lot of ideas, but I don't know if I want to make all these things. I'd rather just buy them the day of, but that would be impossible," Alice says as she grabs my arm and pulls me to the living room just seconds after we walk through the door. I look to Edward as I'm being dragged down the hall and he just snickers. I roll my eyes and turn my attention back to Alice.

"Okay. Your reasonable friend is here to save the day, so please, please, just slow down. We have some time to solidify things."

"Bella Swan! There isn't as much time as you think. I shit you not, at least half of a store's Halloween products are gone by this time. We need to set things in stone today!"

I sigh. "Alice, I agree that at least half may be gone, but that's usually decorations and costumes. Food and alcohol are practically endless. I think we'll be okay, but if that's what you _really_ think, fine. We'll get it done today." She claps and squeals and thanks me with a big, tight hug, and then we get down to business.

A few hours later we have our list, along with the ingredients needed to make Alice's chosen food items, which include both red and green caramel apples, Worms Wart soup that Sally makes, _Nightmare Before Christmas_ , _Corpse Bride_ , and _Coraline_ inspired cupcakes, Jell-O worms, and several other foods. We even decided on all the drinks, including this shot called the brain hemorrhage. It looks freaky and I'm slightly afraid to try it, but it's perfect for Halloween.

The remaining days pass quickly and before I know it, it's Friday the 30th. The last bell of the day just rang and I'm collecting my students' test papers to grade on Sunday. Teaching art is fun and doesn't require as much grading as a required class does. I always do a review and test after each new thing we cover, which basically covers all of the papers I actually have to grade. Everything else is a painting, drawing, photo, or sculpture of some type.

Once I have everything in order and put away, I head down to the coaches office with my essentials in hand. Edward and the other musketeers should be there by now. I'm so thankful that I can get to their office without going through the locker room. Some boys don't know the difference between good old-fashioned humor and crossing the line. Of course, the same could be said about some teachers, but that's just on a whole other level.

When I get there, I knock first in case one of them is talking with a student. I hear Jasper call out, telling me that I can come in. I open the door and greet them. "Jasper, shouldn't you be on your way home? You know Alice will have your ass if you're late."

"Yeah, but that means I have to dress up," he whines. I roll my eyes and nod.

"True, but it's better to just do it than to not get any," I say knowingly.

His mouth falls slack a bit and he pales slightly at the mention of the possibility of not getting sex. "Peace, y'all." Jasper quickly grabs his coat and is gone, leaving us to yell our goodbyes through the closing door. Knowing the rest of us need to leave as well, we follow shortly after.

"Can you help me with the ribbon, please?" I ask Edward as I stand in front of the mirror. I was able to find a red corset with black-beaded hearts on the top and flowers on the bottom. It's quite flexible, so I can breathe and bend easier in it. I have it clasped in the front and untied and loose in the back. It's the last piece of my costume and all I have to do is have him fix it. I feel his hands and fingers on my back as he pulls the crisscrossed ribbon tighter, and then ties it at the end.

"You look beautiful," he says quietly, then wraps his arms around me and kisses the spot where my neck and shoulder meet.

I smile, but roll my eyes. "Thank you. I don't like all this make-up, though." I look him up and down in the mirror. "You're looking pretty hot yourself. I like this darker look on you." I hate that his costume was so much easier to search for. Why did guys always seem to have the less complicated clothing options? I was lucky I found the flexible corset, as it was the last one. Otherwise it would have been the steel-boned one.

He chuckles, sporting a smirk. "Yeah, well, don't get used to it. I don't mind it, but I don't want to wear it all the time." I smile and agree. "And the make-up is just for Halloween, so it's okay." He looks at his watch. "We have to leave in ten minutes or we'll be late."

Nodding, I slip out of his arms, immediately wishing we didn't have to go. I'd much rather have him rip my clothes off and stay in bed, faking the flu when Alice calls. At the same time though, I feel sexy and I'm all made up, so I don't want to waste it.

"Do you need help with your shoes?"

Shaking my head, I lift up my matching red skirt and show that they're already on. "Nope. I was smart and put them on right before, just in case."

He smiles and nods. "Okay then, my queen. Let's get this night over with." I snort in response. "Thank God we don't have to dress up tomorrow, too."

We get in the car and begin to make our way to the masquerade. The abandoned house is about a mile into the Tiger Mountain State Forest. The forest itself is about a thirty to forty minute drive west, and it sits a little south of Seattle. Edward spots the arrow sign saying "Alice's Sleepy Hollow," lit by lights and adorned with orange jack-o-lantern balloons. Taking the left, we continue on a dirt road and take a right when a sign for "Halloweentown" tells us to at the split. Soon we're approaching the house and I have to say that I'm impressed. Alice didn't go overboard with decorations. She left the house alone and kept it creepy, adding some ghost-like figures to the yard.

Edward parks the car between a couple of trees and we get out, instantly hearing eerie, yet ballroom-like music. He offers me his arm with the signature lopsided smirk of his. "My lady."

I smile. "Why thank you, good sir." I loop my arm around his and we make our way to the house.

Upon closer inspection of the ghostly figures, I see that they're just chicken wire and some kind of glow-in-the-dark paint. There're also dead hands and faces placed perfectly to give off the effect of someone crawling out of the ground, and there's even a white sheet secured to the ground covering a fake dead body. Once inside, we find Alice right away.

"Alice, the place looks amazing!" I praise as I give her a hug. There are candles and battery operated lanterns everywhere, giving off an amazing glow. Streamers, fake spider webs, ghosts, and carved pumpkins decorate the space—how she managed to do so many without help I'll never know—and two tables hold all the food and drinks.

"Thank you! And I must say, you look gorgeous!" she says, pulling back to look me over. I hear Edward clear his throat behind me. Looking at him, she says, "And you look handsome, my dear brother." I giggle.

"Thank you, Alice. You look beautiful as well." Jasper comes up behind her to stand. He has this awesome rabbit mask on that has pieces of a clock all over. There are gears in his ears, a clock face on his forehead, and even a monocle over his eye. He looks comfortable in just a pair of maroon pants with a white button-up and a big yellow bowtie and red vest to complete it.

As more people show, I'm really liking everyone's costume choices. Emmett and Rosalie come as the Cheshire Cat and the White Queen, James and Victoria as zombie-up Ariel and Prince Eric, Mike and Ben—as friends—as Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum, and Angela and Eric as the Corpse Bride couple. Even Carlisle and Esme, Alice and Edward's aunt and uncle, came as Ichabod and Katrina. Almost everyone came as someone from a Tim Burton movie.

When Alice said half, if not most, of the staff, she meant it. Lauren, Jessica, Jared, Paul, Charlotte, Riley, Jake, Seth, and Peter are all here. Principal Allister Chambers isn't, and I am so thankful for it. The man is too old for this shit. I wouldn't be surprised if he's the kind who turns off all his lights just so kids don't knock on his door on Halloween. He hates all things scary.

Edward and I greet everyone when we see them. I try to be as polite as possible to James and Victoria. They have some on-again-off-again relationship, and she gets defensive real quick if you say the wrong thing. Why she keeps going back to him when he fucks anything with a skirt is beyond me.

Edward turns to me when a new song comes on. He bows with a hand extended. "May I have this dance, my queen?"

I giggle, because he's really playing this up and I like it. I place my hand in his. "You may." He leads me over to an open spot and starts us off with a slow waltz. "You've been hiding the fact that you can do the waltz." I say with a smile.

Edward shrugs. "I have to keep a little mystery. You may leave me if I expose everything too early."

I laugh. "I could never leave you. I love you."

He smiles. "I love you too." Then, instead of just kissing me, he spins me out and pulls me back in for a dip. I laugh, as I wasn't expecting it. He holds the back of my head at the nape of my neck and finally presses his lips to mine. Our tongues meet in a slow, sensual way for only a few seconds before he pulls away. I pout a little, but remember that we live together and there's always later.

The song finishes and another comes on. This one is creepy, has a circus-like feel to it, and talks about keeping a secret. It's eerie, but great for the ballroom type of dancing Edward and I are currently doing. A few more songs play before we leave the floor to get some food and drinks. After we finish our _Coraline_ button eye cupcakes and barbeque sauced fingers, Alice comes out calling for everyone's attention.

"I just wanted to thank all of you for coming out here to this creepy ass, and probably haunted, abandoned house. It looks like everyone has shown up, so I'd like to start this weekend off with a bang! Over on that table," she points to her left at a table against the wall, "is a shot called the Brain Hemorrhage. It has one ounce of peach schnapps, one teaspoon of Bailey's Irish cream, and a half-teaspoon of grenadine syrup. I did try it last night, and it really is delicious! So, everyone gets one and we are going to all do it together, right now!" We walk over, pick up a glass and wait. I'm so happy it turned out as great as the picture on Pinterest. "Okay. Now that we all have one," Alice raises her shot up in the air and we follow, "here's to a creeptastic Halloween!"

And with that, we throw back our shots and cheer. Almost immediately I start to feel weird, like the shot hit me extremely fast. I feel light-headed and dizzy when I turn my head to look at Edward. I can't be sure, but he looks just like how I feel. I slip down to the floor to sit and Edward follows, but he isn't graceful about it. My eyes are beginning to feel heavy and it's hard to keep them open. I try to look around and I catch a glimpse of a few people also on the floor. I reach for Edward, but my arms feel like they weigh a hundred pounds each, and the rest of me just can't sit up anymore. I give in and close my eyes as I fall to the side, my head landing on a body I can only assume is Edward's.

When I come to, I'm lying on the floor and feeling cold. The low lighting makes seeing difficult and being slightly light-headed still doesn't help.

"Bella!" I hear Rosalie say. I feel more than one pair of hands on me, helping to sit me up.

I groan. "What's going on? What happened?" I run my hands over my face to help myself wake up a little more. When no one answers, I drop my hands and look around. I see the concerned and scared faces of Rosalie, Alice, and Angela first, but then see all the girls' faces. Every woman that was at the party is now sitting in this dark room, still in their costumes with no masks, and just as lost as me. None of the guys are here.

"Where are the guys?" I ask aloud, unsure. "Why is it just us?"

The three girls who helped me sit up—Alice, Rose, and Angela—glance at each other and around the room quickly before returning their gaze to me. "We don't know," Alice says. "And before you ask whatever else, we really don't know … anything."

I say nothing, at first. I mean, what is there to say other than the fucking obvious or just repeating what they've already said? Apparently my brain is still affected by whatever knocked me and everyone else out, because that's exactly what I do.

I swallow over the lump in my throat. "I hear you, but I still need to ask. You don't know anything about what's happening, how we got here or why, or where the guys are?" They all nod. "And I'm going to assume we don't know the _who,_ also? Right?" Again, they all nod and Victoria verbally agrees with me.

Over the next several minutes, we all try to figure it out. The room we're in has one dirty window that's barred and that we can't see out of, and one steel door with a closed slot at the bottom. There are no electrical wires or outlets, and the only light comes from two lanterns that hold single candles. And the floor I'm lying on is actually ground that's just packed down like a walking trail would be.

Our shoes are the oddest part, however. Instead of the shoes we wore to the party, we now all have on dirty, old tennis shoes with no socks. The majority don't fit, either being too big or too small.

Then, out of nowhere, I have some sort of epiphany. I gasp and my eyes widen. "The brain hemorrhage shot." The room is quiet and everyone stares at me. "That's the last thing I remember doing. We all drank it, but I can't remember what happened after that, except for feeling like it was super strong and then waking up here."

Everyone looks around at each other before Claire admits the same thing. Soon, the rest join in agreement. We try to find a way out through the door but it's pretty solid, just like the bars on the window. So, there's only one thing to do and that's to stay here, scared out of our minds.

Suddenly, the slot at the bottom of the door opens and a gloved hand slides a folded piece of paper inside. There's no time to look out to see anything before the slot is slammed closed and locked. All of us just stare at the paper, like it's going to come alive and kill us. Finally, after what feels like forever, I walk over to pick it up. I look up at everyone and then back at the paper. I take a deep breath, lick my lips, swallow my saliva and nerves and open it. I read to myself first, then to everyone else.

 _You will have a five minute head start in one hour, little lambs._

 _Then the game begins._

 _Only the fastest will survive._

"The game?!"

"Five minute head start?!"

"Only the fastest survive?!"

Everyone starts asking questions at the same time.

"Hey!" I shout, and they all fall silent and look at me. "None of that is helping and none of that is going to get us answers." I sigh and take a deep breath before talking again. "I get that you're all scared because I know I am—scared beyond shitless, in fact. But, I don't think we're going to get any more answers as to why we're here."

Emily is quiet with her question but, being in such a small room, it comes out loud. "What do you think it means then?"

I think it over for a second before answering the best way I can. "To me, it looks like a race with an unknown finish line. The rest kind of seems self-explanatory."

The note gives us an hour, but with no way to tell time in here, it sets everyone's nerves on fire. Most start to cry and hold onto each other. We end up in one giant group hug, for both warmth and for some type of goodbye. Soon all that can be heard is our sniffles.

I start to think about Edward. Where is he? Is he okay? Is he looking for me and his sister? I wrap my arms around my stomach, close my eyes and take deep breaths. I'm really starting to freak out, but I can't let myself. I'm not really into sports and I don't go running, so how am I supposed to try to _win_ this game? I've heard that adrenaline can do miraculous things, like a mother lifting a car to save a trapped child. I can only hope my adrenaline will help.

As I'm trying to calm down, I begin to smell something faint. I open my eyes and look around, stopping on the window that's now open. Smoke has started to pour in and now fills the room. We start to cough and ineffectively wave the smoke away from our faces. Suddenly, the door opens and the need to get fresh air takes over, forcing us all to rush out. I guess the hour is up and our five minutes has started. Unfortunately, we're all stuck in place with fear by what we see. There's evil-looking jack-o-lanterns attached to trees and signs accompany them.

" _Run, run, run, as fast as you can."_

" _We're watching you."_

" _This isn't Wonderland."_

" _By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes."_

" _We're all mad."_

Lauren asks no one in particular, "The Headless Horseman isn't real, right? Like, no burning pumpkin for a head?"

Jessica answers without looking at her. "No, it's a myth. These creeps are just trying to get into our heads."

"Either way, fuck this shit!" Rosalie spat out and takes off running. Knowing it's a race for whatever reason, I take Alice's hand and we chase after Rosalie. I can only guess that the others have followed as I don't look back, but can hear people behind me. We try to stay somewhat together as we weave through the trees. We don't know where we are, and there isn't a clear right way, so we just guess and run.

The cold air makes my chest and throat hurt as I try to breathe and the smoke from the room didn't help either. My hands, ears, and nose are so cold that I can't feel them. My joints ache and my muscles are tensing so much I'm afraid of tearing or breaking something. My legs are so tired that I fear they'll give out.

I hear someone fall and scream out behind me. Slowing down a little to look, I see it's Emily and she's hurt her ankle. Angela and Charlotte are near and they help her up and support her.

"Bella, come on!" Alice yells. I turn and pick up my feet again, despite the blisters I know are already forming. I have to stay with her, no matter the outcome. I'd like to say that I'm selfless enough that if I don't make it, I'd want her to for Edward's sake, but best friends stick together.

Keeping up with Alice, I only hear a few screams or cries of pain from behind us. I can't see Rose anymore, so I don't know if she fell behind, went a different way, or is just that much farther ahead of us. Pretty soon I can't hear anything other than the crunching of the ground when our feet hit and our heavy breathing. Something isn't right.

I try to slow down and tell Alice, "Wait … stop." I grab her arm and pull. "Stop! Something's wrong." I say through panted breaths.

"I know, you're stopping. That's what's wrong!"

"No, Alice, listen!" I hiss out. It's too quiet and I don't want to risk being caught if we haven't already. "I can't hear anything, so I think we're alone."

"That's a good thing, then. We won."

"Or we just went the wrong way from everyone else and are exactly where these people wants us to be," I counter.

We stand there, in the silence of the night forest, just staring at each other and trying to think of what to do. "Fuck," Alice whispers and we both start looking around frantically. Everything looks the same, but I know it isn't. "There!" She whispers and points. Following her finger, I can barely see the top of a random streetlight illuminating the road.

"Oh, thank God!" I say, and I can feel relief filling me all the way into my soul. Fuck walking, we have to run to that light.

Just as we get close enough to see pavement, I feel a sharp pain in the left side of my lower back, which makes me fall. I look for the source and see a silver tube with red hairs sticking out. I quickly pull it out, thinking that will help, but it doesn't. I can already feel it working as I look around for Alice. Everything is spinning—kind of like when you're two drinks past drunk—but I find her, not five feet in front of me, face down between me and the road. I hear the crunching of the ground and groggily turn around.

The last thing I see is a hooded figure with the face of Jack Skellington before the drugs take effect and everything goes black.

I sit up gasping, startled by scraping on glass. I look around and realize that I'm back in my room. The sound comes from an owl landing on a tree branch next to my bedroom window.

"Fuck." I sigh and try to run a hand through my hair, but I can't because it's still done up. I look down at myself and see that I'm still in my corset and skirt. My feet are bare and the boots I wore to the party are beside the bed. Looking over to my right, Edward lies next to me, also still in his clothes, breathing evenly. He's asleep, but in my usual spot. "What the fuck? Did we party too hard and I just had a nightmare?" I blow out a breath and go to get up, suddenly needing to use the bathroom. It's then that I notice a piece of paper the size of a mini sticky note on the bedside table. I know the paper wasn't there before, so I pick it up, confused, and immediately feel myself pale.

 _Only two can keep a secret._

Reading the eerie words makes me start to wonder if it really was a nightmare … or if it was in fact real.


End file.
